“Noah.” Her tone darkened. “He’smyfather. I’m not letting you go in there alone.”
I opened my mouth to argue again—
But before I could, she reached down and pulled the pistol off the holster on my thigh.
“Liz—” I started, exasperated.
She raised an eyebrow. “You were saying?”
I rolled my eyes, growling under my breath. “Stubborn as hell.”
“Yeah,” she said, checking the safety. “You love that about me.”
Anddamn it, she was right.
I should’ve told her no. Should’ve made her stay in the damn room.
But instead, I nodded and said the only thing I could:
“Stay close.”
As we stalked down the corridor, shoulder to shoulder, adrenaline humming in our veins, I caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye — fierce, determined, fearless.
And all I could think was:
God help anyone who tries to take her from me again.
Because I loved her.
Fully.
Madly.
Without condition.
And I was going to make sure the man who broke her paid forevery secondof it.
---- ??? ----
We moved like a storm through the halls — quiet, fast, lethal.
Every shadow was a threat, every corner a trap. But I didn’t care. I had her at my side. And nothing in this godforsaken facility was going to keep me from putting a bullet in the bastard that made her bleed.
Liz didn’t flinch once. Not when we cleared two rooms of guards. Not when she knelt beside me to reload. Not even when blood from someone else splattered her dress and smeared across her bruised arms. She wasrageandgracein one, and watching her made my chest ache.
Then we turned the last corner.
And there he was.
Her father.
Still dressed in that sleek black suit, still smug like he hadn’t turned his daughter into a weapon and then discarded her like broken machinery. His hands were up, but his mouth already moving.
“Well,” he said, with a slow, sick smile. “If it isn’t my little creation… and the boy who made herweak.”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Say another word and I swear—”
But Liz stepped forward, gun steady in her hand, and her voicecut.
